UEFA Europa League, matchday 4: NEC Nijmegen beat Omonia Nicosia 3-1

A night that began quietly in Brittany ended with a cascade of late drama across the continent. The UEFA Europa League produced 48 goals in eighteen matches on matchday 4, an average of 2.7 a game. The away sides took nine wins, the hosts six, and three matches ended level. Three matches finished 0-2. 19 goals came before half-time and 29 after. Rennes drew 0-0 with Olympiakos Piraeus at Roazhon Park. Neither side found the net. At Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace drew 1-1 with 1899 Hoffenheim. Alexander Prass found the net in the 7th for 1899 Hoffenheim, assisted by Tim Lemperle. Crystal Palace trailed 0-1 at the break. In the 91st minute, Daichi Kamada scored for Crystal Palace. Lillestrom lost 0-1 to Plzen. In the 10th minute, Prince Kwabena Adu scored for Plzen, assisted by Patrik Hrošovský. NEC Nijmegen beat Omonia Nicosia 3-1 at Stadion de Goffert. Loïs Diony struck in the 23rd for Omonia Nicosia, assisted by panagiotis andreou. NEC Nijmegen trailed 0-1 at the break. Bryan Linssen scored in the 50th minute for NEC Nijmegen, assisted by Tjaronn Chery. Clement Bischoff found the net in the 74th. In the 76th minute, Bryan Linssen scored again, assisted by Dušan Tadić. At San Siro/Giuseppe Meazza, AC Milan lost 0-2 to Ferencvarosi TC. Lenny Joseph scored in the 52nd minute for Ferencvarosi TC, assisted by Kristoffer Zachariassen. Lenny Joseph found the net again in the 66th, assisted by Kristoffer Zachariassen. Real Sociedad drew 1-1 with Lyon. Orri Steinn Óskarsson found the net in the 28th for Real Sociedad, assisted by Ander Barrenetxea. Real Sociedad led 1-0 at the break. In the 54th minute, Corentin Tolisso scored for Lyon, assisted by Tanner Tessmann. Anderlecht beat Red Bull Salzburg 2-0 at Lotto Park. In the 20th minute, Ludwig Augustinsson scored for Anderlecht. Anderlecht took a 1-0 lead into half-time. Marten Winkler struck in the 90th for Anderlecht, assisted by Oliver Antman. At Stadion Letná, Sparta Praha lost 1-3 to Bournemouth. Ebrima Singhateh struck in the 35th for Sparta Praha, assisted by Jakub Surovcik. Sparta Praha led 1-0 at the break. Tyler Adams scored in the 57th minute for Bournemouth. Francisco Evanilson found the net in the 81st, assisted by Ryan Christie. In the 90th minute, Rayan Vitor Simplício Rocha scored, assisted by Francisco Evanilson. Levski Sofia beat Jagiellonia 1-0. Steven Stoyanchov scored in the 83rd minute for Levski Sofia, assisted by David Kusso. Bayer Leverkusen lost 0-1 to Marseille at BayArena. Amine Gouiri found the net in the 77th for Marseille, assisted by Ulisses Garcia. At AFAS Stadion（Alkmaar）, AZ Alkmaar lost 1-2 to Juventus. In the 19th minute, Teun Koopmeiners scored for Juventus, assisted by Randal Kolo Muani. Randal Kolo Muani struck in the 37th, assisted by Nick Woltemade. AZ Alkmaar went into half-time 0-2 down. Mexx Meerdink scored in the 88th minute for AZ Alkmaar, assisted by Elijah Dijkstra. Benfica beat Lech Poznan 3-1. Rafa Silva struck in the 6th for Benfica. Benfica led 1-0 at the break. Gianluca Prestianni scored in the 67th minute for Benfica, assisted by Heorhii Sudakov. Leo Bengtsson found the net in the 72nd for Lech Poznan. In the 90th minute, Heorhii Sudakov scored for Benfica, assisted by Enzo Barrenechea. Celtic beat Beşiktaş 3-2 at Celtic Park. Junior Olaitan scored in the 54th minute for Beşiktaş. Callum Osmand found the net in the 62nd for Celtic, assisted by Callum McGregor. In the 78th minute, Camilo Duran scored, assisted by Callum Osmand. Orkun Kökçü struck in the 85th for Beşiktaş, assisted by Ernest Poku. Camilo Duran scored again in the 87th minute for Celtic. At Municipal de Balaídos, Celta Vigo lost 1-2 to Union Saint-Gilloise. Pablo Durán Fernández found the net in the 11th for Celta Vigo, assisted by Sergio Carreira Vilarino. In the 35th minute, Besfort Zeneli scored for Union Saint-Gilloise, assisted by Adem Zorgane. It was 1-1 at the break. Besfort Zeneli struck again in the 49th for Union Saint-Gilloise, assisted by Kevin Rodriguez. Hapoel Beer Sheva lost 0-2 to OFI. In the 47th minute, Achilleas Poungouras scored for OFI. Hapoel Beer Sheva went into half-time 0-1 down. Taxiarchis Fountas struck in the 56th for OFI, assisted by Nikolaos Athanasiou. Sturm Graz lost 2-3 to Celje at Stadion Graz-Liebenau. Svit Seslar struck in the 29th for Celje. Oumar Diakité scored in the 40th minute for Sturm Graz. Benjamin Verbič found the net in the 45th for Celje, assisted by Milot Avdyli. Sturm Graz trailed 1-2 at the break. In the 73rd minute, Svit Seslar scored again for Celje. Oumar Diakité struck again in the 93rd for Sturm Graz, assisted by Gizo Mamageishvili. At Stadium of Light, Sunderland lost 0-2 to Dinamo Zagreb. Luka Stojkovic scored in the 22nd minute for Dinamo Zagreb. Dion Drena Beljo found the net in the 39th, assisted by Luka Stojkovic. Torreense beat Ararat-Armenia 3-2. Jorge Aguirre de Céspedes found the net in the 13th for Torreense, assisted by Javi Vazquez. In the 41st minute, Karen Muradyan scored for Ararat-Armenia, assisted by Zhirayr Shaghoyan. It was 1-1 at the break. Bruno Wilson struck in the 58th for Ararat-Armenia, assisted by Artur Serobyan. Javi Vazquez scored in the 93rd minute for Torreense, assisted by David Bruno. Musa drammeh found the net in the 95th. For some, the evening was a masterclass in quiet control; for others, a lesson in the cruelty of the final whistle. The competition’s capacity to elevate the unheralded and humble the mighty was on full display, painting a picture of a tournament where certainty is a fool’s comfort. It was a round that whispered of shifting balances and the unshakeable power of a single, well-timed moment.

Results and scorers

• Rennes 0-0 Olympiakos Piraeus
• Crystal Palace 1-1 1899 Hoffenheim — Alexander Prass (1899 Hoffenheim, 7'); Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace, 91'); red card: Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace, 77')
• Lillestrom 0-1 Plzen — Prince Kwabena Adu (Plzen, 10')
• NEC Nijmegen 3-1 Omonia Nicosia — Loïs Diony (Omonia Nicosia, 23'); Bryan Linssen (NEC Nijmegen, 50'); Clement Bischoff (NEC Nijmegen, 74'); Bryan Linssen (NEC Nijmegen, 76')
• AC Milan 0-2 Ferencvarosi TC — Lenny Joseph (Ferencvarosi TC, 52'); Lenny Joseph (Ferencvarosi TC, 66'); red card: Bamidele Isa Yusuf (Ferencvarosi TC, 77')
• Real Sociedad 1-1 Lyon — Orri Steinn Óskarsson (Real Sociedad, 28'); Corentin Tolisso (Lyon, 54')
• Anderlecht 2-0 Red Bull Salzburg — Ludwig Augustinsson (Anderlecht, 20'); Marten Winkler (Anderlecht, 90')
• Sparta Praha 1-3 Bournemouth — Ebrima Singhateh (Sparta Praha, 35'); Tyler Adams (Bournemouth, 57'); Francisco Evanilson (Bournemouth, 81'); Rayan Vitor Simplício Rocha (Bournemouth, 90'); red card: Tobias Kvalvagnes Guddal (Sparta Praha, 37')
• Levski Sofia 1-0 Jagiellonia — Steven Stoyanchov (Levski Sofia, 83')
• Bayer Leverkusen 0-1 Marseille — Amine Gouiri (Marseille, 77')
• AZ Alkmaar 1-2 Juventus — Teun Koopmeiners (Juventus, 19'); Randal Kolo Muani (Juventus, 37'); Mexx Meerdink (AZ Alkmaar, 88')
• Benfica 3-1 Lech Poznan — Rafa Silva (Benfica, 6'); Gianluca Prestianni (Benfica, 67'); Leo Bengtsson (Lech Poznan, 72'); Heorhii Sudakov (Benfica, 90')
• Celtic 3-2 Beşiktaş — Junior Olaitan (Beşiktaş, 54'); Callum Osmand (Celtic, 62'); Camilo Duran (Celtic, 78'); Orkun Kökçü (Beşiktaş, 85'); Camilo Duran (Celtic, 87')
• Celta Vigo 1-2 Union Saint-Gilloise — Pablo Durán Fernández (Celta Vigo, 11'); Besfort Zeneli (Union Saint-Gilloise, 35'); Besfort Zeneli (Union Saint-Gilloise, 49')
• Hapoel Beer Sheva 0-2 OFI — Achilleas Poungouras (OFI, 47'); Taxiarchis Fountas (OFI, 56')
• Sturm Graz 2-3 Celje — Svit Seslar (Celje, 29'); Oumar Diakité (Sturm Graz, 40'); Benjamin Verbič (Celje, 45'); Svit Seslar (Celje, 73'); Oumar Diakité (Sturm Graz, 93')
• Sunderland 0-2 Dinamo Zagreb — Luka Stojkovic (Dinamo Zagreb, 22'); Dion Drena Beljo (Dinamo Zagreb, 39')
• Torreense 3-2 Ararat-Armenia — Jorge Aguirre de Céspedes (Torreense, 13'); Karen Muradyan (Ararat-Armenia, 41'); Bruno Wilson (Ararat-Armenia, 58'); Javi Vazquez (Torreense, 93'); musa drammeh (Torreense, 95'); red card: Jorge Aguirre de Céspedes (Torreense, 25'); red card: joao donna (Ararat-Armenia, 76')

Table

Top scorers

1. L. Diony (Omonia Nicosia) — 4 goals
2. A. Cissè (AC Milan) — 3 goals
3. Yeremy Pino (Crystal Palace) — 3 goals
4. T. Chery (NEC Nijmegen) — 3 goals
5. Sergio Gómez (Real Sociedad) — 3 goals